How Do Countries’ New Emissions-reduction Plans Stack Up?
A new UN report finds that countries’ emissions-reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement are falling far short of what’s needed to prevent the most dangerous impacts of climate change. It is imperative that countries that have not yet submitted their plans deliver much
Brian Urquhart (1919-2021): Tribute to a United Nations Giant, a Forger of Global Peace
I had the good fortune to be at the US Mission to the United Nations from 1975-1978 when the political world was composed of the Western Bloc, Soviet Bloc and developing countries described as the Group of 77. The United States had three Permanent
The Green Skills Revolution: Preparing the Future Workforce
As old jobs become obsolete and new jobs are invented, it is crucial to push the development of green skills to make future economies sustainable. The ongoing pandemic has brought new challenges to many facets of human life, drastically changing how
The Way Forward: Taxing Pollution, Not People
UN Secretary General António Guterres has stressed the need for investing in and prioritising a green recovery out of the COVID-19 pandemic by drastically cutting pollution or humanity is “doomed.” The Coronavirus crisis has meant that much of the climate change
COVID-19 Heightens Need for CFS Framework for Action in Protracted Crises to Prevent Global Food Emergency
According to the 2020 Global Report on Food Crises, the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity reached a record high of 135 million in 2019, up from 108 million in 2016. And this trend is expected to increase dramatically
How US Sanctions Are Hindering Sustainable Development
U.S unilateral sanctions have been widely criticised for their wide-reaching and detrimental effects on the people that they often claim to benefit – and no time more so than now. Studies show that they have been largely ineffective in achieving
What’s Wrong with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)?
The UDHR or Universal Declaration of Human rights (UDHR) had the trigger for its codification in the aftermath of the Second World War, as a way for states all over the world to collectively avoid such atrocities and for suffering
The New Globalism: The Neoliberalist Roots of Today’s Global Crises
Globalization is no longer limited to questions of economic, financial, and trade policy but has become an existential issue affecting all areas of social and political life. New global threats like international terrorism, the financial and refugee crises, climate change,
Agri-food Systems: How the United Nations Helps in SDG Compliance
Since 2015, when the world signed onto the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations has been invested in a supportive role in achieving the SDGs by 2030. It does this by (1) collecting data,
Shape Your Future With Nikhil Seth
Having began in 1993, Nikhil Seth's career with the United Nations involved a number of positions, responsibilities and of course, achievements. For instance, he served as Director of the Division for Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at
The Fight for Reparations for People of African Descent
Reparations. The contentious term is constantly flung around, but what does it actually mean? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the term can mean the following: 1) a. A repair or keeping in repair b. Reparations plural: repairs 2) a. The act of
Silicon Valley Insider: 75F Raises $18M, is Using Machine Learning to Reduce Commercial HVAC Energy Consumption
75F, a Minneapolis based building intelligence company, completed an $18.1 million Series A funding round last week, co-led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Oil and Gas Climate Initiatives (OGCI). Other participants in the raise included Building Ventures, Rise of The